Let’s discuss what it would feel like to be a Daycare Interview Pro

But first, this sample message below:

Hi Sylvie,

My name is Rachel and I am looking for daycare for my two children: a 6 month old infant and a 3 year old toddler. Would you happen to have any openings? If so, could we set up an interview for this Tuesday at 7 pm? Let me know.

Thank you.

Sincerely, Rachel

If you are a daycare provider, you probably received many emails that are very similar to this one or phone messages that sounded something like this.

You’ve been wanting to fill your spots for a while now, and finally it might be happening. How exciting! This is your chance to enroll more children and make more money. And who doesn’t want that, right?

“YES!”

But how can you perform a successful daycare interview like a pro – one that will end in enrollment? How can you show your clients that you are the best daycare provider out there? (Because you are.)

You need confidence to prove it.

If you are a shy person who does not like to interact with people, you have to learn how to change that. Because when you are a daycare provider you will have to talk and meet with people all the time. You will be doing lots of daycare interviews in order to stay in business. Sure it can be scary, but ditch your fears for success.

If you are an outgoing person, who likes to talk and share with people, you will have to learn how to listen to your clients before you talk. I know this might be challenging, but you will thank me later.

You want to pay attention to these 3 things while interviewing daycare families:

Listen carefully to what they say, so you can determine if these potential daycare families are the right fit for your daycare program.

And if they are, use your knowledge and expertise to convince them you are exactly what they are looking for. Choosing you is a great decision. Actually, it is the best decision.

If you think they are not a good fit for you, then encourage them to find a different daycare that will fulfil their expectations.

Always be honest with yourself and with your clients.

Because the truth is, not every family is a good fit for your daycare business.

Some families have unrealistic expectations when it comes to childcare. Their impossible demands will drain you physically, emotionally and financially. That’s why it is better to part ways, and save yourself a lot of drama before you are both frustrated, disappointed and ready to “kill” each other.

Interviews are the beginning steps to your business making a profit, so there is no other choice but to learn how to run them successfully and confidently.

How do I know? Because I experienced all of those seasons. Guys, at one point I only had one child enrolled in my daycare. It was pretty awful and super stressful. I was ready to throw in the towel and find a new full time job. I was SCARED.

Friend, what are you scared of? What is keeping you up at night?

These are some of the things I often hear from daycare providers:

I am scared…

… to raise my prices

… to terminate a family

… to interview my potential families aka clients

… that I won’t fill my spots

… that I won’t make enough money

… that families will quit on me

… that I am not good enough

… that I have chronic daycare discouragement!

Can you relate to any of these?

Loves, no matter how crazy and stressful things are at the moment, please don’t believe the lie that things will never get better.

They will.

It may take time. It may take courage. It may take some work but things WILL get better. They did for me, and they will for you.

Fight fear and discouragement about your daycare business with everything you have. It’s not going to be easy. It will take effort. But YOU CAN DO IT.

How?

Here’s a simple list that will help you get started.

Take a closer look at your daycare business and make a list of things that are going well and things that you are thankful for. A visual list makes a huge difference. Trust me it does.

Celebrate your business wins no matter how big or small they are… because it took courage to do whatever it was and you did it. Way to go, my friend!

Learn from mistakes. It’s ok not to have it all figured out.

Give yourself permission to fail. Nobody is perfect.

Rest. It’s not optional. Taking care of yourself is a MUST if you want to run a successful daycare business.

I hope this simple list of tips and tricks will get you out of your daycare rut. Post is somewhere and read it daily.

Don’t give up on your daycare business that you’ve worked SO hard to build.

I don’t know about you guys, but I am always looking for ideas on how to transform my daycare business.

I have a feeling I’m not alone. Is it too much to ask to just want to enjoy our daycare more, have a full enrollment, and earn good money? I don’t think so. And believe it or not, summer is a great season to revive your daycare and make it run smoother.

But here’s the challenge: more often than not, we feel stuck and don’t know what to do or where to start. You’ve been there, haven’t you? Or maybe you are there right now.

Whatever the situation looks like, let me share three simple things that you can do to transform your daycare business this summer.

Update your contract and policies.

Why not take some time this summer to write a brand new contract or revise an existing contract and policies?

Grab your favorite highlighter, mark areas in your contract that need editing, and start making necessary adjustments and corrections. You know all those things you’ve wanted to change for a long time? You should go change them!

Oh, and don’t forget to give yourself a deadline. Yes, you need a deadline or you will continue to put things off. Trust me I know, because I have done it many times. Make it your goal to have your new or updated contract done by the end of August.

And remember, you don’t have to wait till January for daycare parents to sign a new or an updated contract. September could be your fresh start.

De-clutter and organize

I hate clutter. I don’t do well when there are way-too-many things EVERYWHERE! What do you see when you look at your daycare? Are there piles and piles of paper, mail and ‘whatever else’ on your desk?

How about your kitchen? Do you have way-too-many gadgets that you don’t even use? And let’s not forget about the toy room! Do you have enough space to store all the toys, books and puzzles? Or is it time to downsize?

I can’t tell you what your specific daycare should look like, but I can assure you that when everything has its place and there is structure and order – there is less chaos! And chaos is the enemy of a happy daycare.

So, if you want to start downsizing, I recommend focusing on one room or space at a time.

For example: go through your daycare toys and decided which ones you want to keep, and which ones you want to give away, donate or sell. After that, if you still have a lot of toys left, put some away in plastic boxes. You can always bring them out in the Fall or Winter.

I know, it sounds a bit crazy. But there is a method to this madness. Your kids won’t get bored anymore playing with the same toys. And the best part – less toys will make clean-up time so much easier. Hallelujah!

I’m all about the concept of LESS IS MORE! Are you?

Decorate and paint

I was talking to my friend ,Sarah a few days go, and she told me that she was re-doing her daycare this summer. Sarah showed me a bunch of pictures of her daycare space and asked for advice. And so I gave her some ideas with paint colors, decorations and other things that would make her daycare look better.

Summer is a perfect time and a great opportunity to invest in your daycare business by making it look new and fresh. People can accomplish so much more on a long, summer day than on those colder, shorter and darker winter days.

It may seem superficial, but parents do pay attention to your daycare area. By having a nice looking daycare, you will attract more clients.

So go ahead and change things around. Be creative, have fun and enjoy your new space.

That’s it!

These are the three simple steps that you can take to transform your daycare business this summer. Don’t get overwhelmed and try to do them all at once.

And believe me - I want you to WIN! But growing up, I can't say everyone wanted ME to win.

Let me tell you a story:

When I was in 4th grade, one of my teachers came up to me and said that I will never accomplish anything in life, that I will never move out of my parents house and that I am pretty much worthless and waste of a human being. She said I had nothing to contribute to this world.

OUCH!

She was CRUEL.

Her words were painful, devastating and unnecessary.

You know what? She taught me a valuable lesson: not everyone in my life was going to be my cheerleader and support my dreams and goals.

And unfortunately, not everyone in your life is going to support you either.

Perhaps even right now - you are in a place where a close family member, or a life-long friend is saying that you don’t have what it takes to run a successful daycare business. Or maybe they predict that your daycare will never have a full enrollment. Or perhaps they claim that your daycare will never be as good as “Lucy’s daycare.” Or maybe they just never seem to take your business seriously.

It stinks. It hurts.

Promise me this: do not listen to those people!

At a very young age, I had to decide if I was going to believe my teacher and let her words ruin my life, or if I was going to let her words motivate me to do my best and live life to the fullest.

I chose to pursue my dreams and achieve my goals. I am a fighter. I was determined to prove my teacher wrong. But even more importantly - I was determined to prove to myself that I had what it took to live my own life, and not somebody else’s idea of my life.

What are you going to choose, my friend?

Are you going to let those negative people ruin your daycare business? Or are you going to work hard, do your best and have one of the greatest daycares in town?

The choice is YOURS.

Here are 5 things daycare providers need to WIN at daycare:

1. CONFIDENCE

You have to believe in yourself and your business first, if you want others to believe in it. Become your #1 fan. Don’t be afraid to listen to people’s advice. But always consider the source.

2. PATIENCE

Things take time. You will find your groove. Some days you will be winning and some days you will be learning. It might be scary, but if so - do it scared!

3. INTEGRITY

Keep your word, and always deliver what you promised. But don’t be afraid to apologize if you messed up. We are all humans. We all make mistakes.

4. KIDNESS

Being kind is a strength, not a weakness. Don’t be a jerk, especially when people are being unkind. Control your emotions. Respond with respect. And remember - you can be both firm, and friendly.

5. DRIVE

Never stop driving that dream. Continue to set goals and watch your business grow.

But no matter where you go from here and what you accomplish, I want you to know that you are FABULOUS. It’s honestly my honor to cheer you on, my beautiful daycare providers! You are an incredible tribe, and I love you all so much!

PS. And just in case you are wondering, my teacher was completely wrong. I did not stay at my parent’s house for the rest of my life. I actually moved across the ocean. I am running my own business. And I am loving life!

Some days I like to listen to motivational speakers because I crave change in my life, my marriage, my business and probably in myself.

Do you ever have days like that?

Today was one of those days when I needed extra encouragement and inspiration, so I listened to one of my favorite speakers, Ty Schenzel.

Ty was my husband’s best friend and a very entertaining communicator. Sadly, two years ago Ty and his wife Terri were killed in a horrific car accident, but thanks to technology we can still learn from their wisdom.

Ty was an out-of-the-box person who did crazy things that most people would never do. One time he was working out at the gym and he noticed a guy who was in excellent physical shape. Ty walked up to him and shamelessly announced: “Your body is my goal!”

First of all: WHO DOES THAT? LOL

Secondly, the buff guy had an interesting response to Ty’s compliment. He said: “Anybody can have a body like mine if they put all the hard work that I put into it.”

Wow! Was he saying being in great shape doesn’t just happen – that it actually requires work? YES! Of course!

And guess what? Great daycares are no different. They don’t ‘just happen’ either. They are a lot of work.

We all want awesome daycares, but are we willing to do what it takes to build them?

Are we willing to stay committed and not quit when things get hard? Are we willing to put in extra effort – even when the results are not immediate? Are we willing to push ourselves harder in order to get where we want to be?

Just like the buff guy who had to work out every day, eat healthy and make daily choices in order to achieve his goal, we also must make daily choices in order to achieve our goal – a successful daycare.

So, how do we do it? I am glad you asked. Here’s your answer:

10 BEST TIPS FOR DAYCARE PROVIDERS

1. Put time and effort into building your business. Things don’t happen on their own. This includes: decorating, organizing, creating schedules and routines, teaching, cooking, cleaning, establishing healthy boundaries, disciplining, effective communicating and making changes that will improve your business to be exactly what YOU want it to be.2. Respect yourself first, if you want daycare families to respect you.3. Stay committed and dedicated, even when things are challenging.4. Be professional and responsible, so you can be trusted.5. Be kind yet firm. You’ve got this!6. Don’t be afraid of conflict, but approach it with class and maturity.7. Stand up for yourself when needed. Confidence is key.8. Be fair and don’t play favorites.9. Stay focused on your goals, so you know where you are going and what you want to accomplish. You will get there.10. Don’t forget to rest and take breaks. Schedule your time-off and put it on the calendar. Yes, it’s that important for your physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.

This is easier than you think.

All you have to do is START! Don’t overthink it or make excuses. Don’t wait for a perfect time, as there is no such a thing. Start today.
Commit to the process, be patient with yourself and enjoy a successful daycare business that you are proud of…